Adoption Day is finally here!

November is National Adoption Month.  Did you know?  My life has revolved around foster care for the past 6yrs and so it seems to me like everyone should already know all about it.  More than 114,000 foster children are available for adoption right now.   I've adopted my 4 and done my part. Your turn :)

As you know, the much anticipated adoption of Drool Prince & TheToddler has finally occurred! Sure it took 4½ & 2½ yrs but it's over and done with at last.   No more dealing with DCS, no more asking permission to go out of state, no more asking permission for Anything.  Loving it!

It's time to relive it - with pics. Be warned, there will be LOTs of pics..  Also be warned that some are taken w/ my phone which seemed to take craptastic pics that day even though it normally takes awesome ones.. Go figure.

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First things first, The Toddler needed to get his hair did. You see the boy has awesome hair.  Great curls that I love but cannot control.  I can get his hair to look completely fab for about 3hrs and then it starts frizzing out.  We've grown it out (and boy does it grow like a weed) because I wanted to do some braids. Ok, ok.. I didn't want to do braids.  I wanted to get braids done. My fingers don't do the work quite so well, at least not when dealing with the sheer volume of hair these boys seem to come up with.

So a few days before adoption, I took him and got his hair braided.

He did not like it.

In fact, he protested quite a bit.

Thankfully our new stylist did not mind a bit and she did a pretty awesome job!

Cute, ain't he?

As adoption day loomed closer there were a few last minute snags.. We elected to ignore the slap in the face that was given during subsidy negotiations (more on this later because I tend to open my mouth when I should shut it) we accepted it and were able to move forward.. Nothing like being "threatened" with removal two days prior to adoption though..

Finally the day had arrived.. We got up super early as our adoption was set for 8:30in the morning.. Ugh.. We showed up and waited..  Waited for DCS to make their appearance (even though they ended up having no part in the adoption, still scratching my head over why they had to be there)..

That's Cowie sitting there w/ the kids :)

TheToddler was in a bit of a "mood"

Almost time!!

Southern Darlin' absolutely refused to smile. Poor thing, she was terrified to be in court.  Our best guess is that she was afraid we were returning her since the last time she'd been in a similar room was when we finalized her adoption.  It was sad to see her so scared.

closest thing to a smile we could get out of her.

Daddy Chaos made sure to tell her that we will Never Ever go to a courthouse Ever again so she just had to get thru this and we'd all go home..

Cowie was sure to pip up "until they call you with those newborn twin girls" since she knows it's my not-so-secret desire.

Drama Queen, not to be outdone, pipped in and said "We wont' be in court again until I'm here for juvie." Silly girl, doesn't she know that she doesn't look good in stripes?

Finally everyone arrived and we proceeded with the adoption!  Drool Prince wanted to be asked questions so our atty asked how old he was, did he want to be adopted & what his name was.  He planned on saying that he wanted his name to be "newfirstname newmiddlename 'Fishing Pole' ourlastname" so our atty prepared the judge ahead of time.  But when it came down to it, he chickened out and just said newmiddlename (which is what he will go by). When asked again he spelled his name.. lol. That definitely got a chuckle from all involved.  I do believe we will change his name to FishingPole on the blog though, only seems fair that he gets it somewhere after all that thought he put into it. lol.

He insisted on sitting in the judge's chair since we did it at Southern Darlin's adoption lol

Our completed family w/the Judge involved in 3 of the 4 cases!

Cowie with the boys, no longer her CASA kids.. now just her 'grandkids'

Once the adoption was finalized and we had gathered our shiny new adoption decrees, we headed out to breakfast because we were all starved. 8:30 in the AM at a courthouse 30+mins away from me plus 6kids to get ready = we didn't eat beforehand.  Sure I threw some dry cereal at the kids on the way but that doesn't count in anyone's book.

So breakfast was had by all. We had some other friends/family join us.. GmaH & Gpa J as well as WishyWashy and BabyMM came along :)   I had planned on doing some family pics after breakfast but I didn't plan for Drool Prince Fishing Pole to wear most of his breakfast vs eating it..  Or for TheToddler to decide to save up and soak his clothes completely with urine 15mins after I changed a diaper.  Fun times.. fun times..  So the only post adoption pics are the ones from breakfast..

Momma, TheToddler, 'FishingPole' & Daddy

Sisters plus Baby MM

After breakfast we went to visit TheToddler's fiance and change clothes.. Then off to the movies to see Drool Prince's  Fishing Pole's (that's gonna take some getting used to) choice of movies - MegaMind !

Obviously it was a long day.. 

And now it's over.  I don't feel the least bit different than I did last month or last year.. They've always been my boys. The only difference now is that everyone else has to call them by their new names.. Of our four adoptions, these two were the longest awaited ones.  I do have a sense of relief , a weight lifted that no one can take them ever again. 

Drool Prince Fishing Pole has been waiting a long time for this and happily tells everyone he sees that he is finally 'dopted!!  He then proceeds to tell them that they have to call him NewName and no one is ever allowed to call him OldName again!  Yes, sweetie- you are 100% right!

Xoxo,